Thin film high temperature silicide thermocouples

A high temperature and corrosion resistant thermocouple comprising a first conductive thermoelement extending between a measurement junction and a reference junction and a dissimilar second conductive thermoelement extending between said measurement junction and said reference junction, said first and second thermoelements having different electrical resistivities and being in electrical communication with each other only at said measurement junction and at said reference junction, wherein at least one of said first and second thermoelements comprises a conductive transition metal silicide film produced by

• providing a silicon base layer extending from said measurement junction to said reference junction;
• applying a transition metal silicide film over said base layer between said measurement junction and said reference junction;
• and
• heat treating said metal silicide film under an oxidizing gas atmosphere to form a continuous SiO.sub.2 overlayer on said film, said atmosphere having a partial pressure of oxidizing gas sufficient to oxidize silicon atoms from said metal silicide film to SiO.sub.2 but insufficient to oxidize transition metal atoms from said metal silicide film, whereby silicon atoms from said metal silicide film which are oxidized to SiO.sub.2 are replaced in said film by silicon atoms from said silicon base layer.